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Beginnings are hard.

A blinking cursor on a fresh blank page can be intimidating for even seasoned writers. Here are some tips from our Partnerships team on how to go about your first Substack post:

1. Why this, why now

Tell your readers why you are launching this space. What brought you here and what inspired you to do it now. Think of it as a mini personal manifesto.

2. What kind of community are you looking to build here

You are not just starting a newsletter when you start a Substack, you are starting a community. You are inviting people to subscribe to your thinking. What kind of space will this be?

3. Be specific

Readers love clarity. Be clear when you explain what they should expect: how often will you be posting? Can they expect certain posts on specific days? What will the free subscribers get? What does a paid subscription buy them? (You can list these benefits in bullets.)

4. Use an image and “subscribe” buttons

A picture will look nicer when you share the post on your social media (click the image icon in the editor to search for copyright-free photos), and it will give color to your archive as you build it.

[EDIT ME]“Subscribe” buttons (found in your editor under “Buttons'“) will make it easy for new readers to subscribe to your newsletter with one click.[EDIT ME]

5. Ignore our advice

There is no one true way to go about building a Substack. This is your playground, experiment with it. If you’re having fun, your readers will too.

(But trust us on the “subscribe” buttons!)